Automatic lamp filament-transferring equipment

ABSTRACT

An automatic lamp filament-transferring equipment is provided with one shaft having chucks fixed on opposite ends thereof, each having a face oriented at right angles relative to the other, the shaft performing a revolution in a plane containing the shaft and being rotatable about the shaft axis. The equipment, when installed in a conveyor system of an automatic mounting machine, is especially useful for manufacturing a lamp holding a filament mounted in parallel with the lamp axis.

[45 1 Sept. 19, 1972 United States Patent Uchiumi et al.

[ AUTOMATIC LAMP FILAMENT- 3,348,298 10/1967 Sedgwick...............;2l4/1BD TRANSFERRING- EQUIPMENT [72] Inventors: Tatsuro Uchiumi, Kanagawa; Goro Primary ExaminerRobert G. Sheridan Assistant Examiner-George F. Abraham Attorney-Norman F. Oblon et a1.

Nakano, Kawasaki, both of Japan [73] Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co.

, Ltd.,

ABSTRACT An automatic lamp filament-transferring equipment is Kanagawa-ken, Japan provided with one shaft having chucks fixed on opposite ends thereof, each having a face oriented at right angles relative to the other, the shaft performing a revolution in a plane containing the shaft and being rotatable about the shaft axis. The equipment, when installed in a conveyor system of an automatic mounting machine, is especially useful for manufacturing a lamp holding a filament mounted in parallel with the lamp axis.

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10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,300,856 1/1967 Daugherty...............214/1BD PATENTEDSEP 19 I972 SHEET 1 or 2 INVENTORS GORO NAKANO TATSURO UCHlUMI BY (964%, Am, #S m/ ATTORNEYS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field Of The Invention This invention relates to an automatic lamp filamenttransferring equipment particularly adapted for changing a filament orientation. It is well suitable for use together with an automatic filament-mounting machine for manufacturing a lamp holding a filament in the direction parallel to the lamp axis.

2. Description Of The Prior Art An incandescent lamp generally comprises a light transmissive bulb, a stern assembly, and a filament mounted thereon. The stem assembly includes a stem tube having one end thereof converted into a flare for being hermetically sealed to the bulb, lead-in wires sealed in a pinched seal portion of the other end of the stem tube, and an exhausting tube provided at the center axis of the stem tube. The filament is bridged between inner ends of the lead-in wires which have portions for caulking the filament.

Generally, incandescent lamps are manufactured by automatic machines comprising a' chain conveyor having a plurality of holding heads which are intermittently driven and a number of apparatus each cooperating with the conveyor for working upon the article carried by the conveyor at its respective stopping position.

At each respective stopping position of the article, operations are successively carried out, such as, for example, the embedding of anchor wire into the end part of an inner support rod constructed during stem making, the trimming and forming of lead-in wires, the feeding and clamping of the filament, curling of the anchor wires around the filament, coating a getter material on the filament, and the like.

An automatic filamentmounting machine is one of the above-mentioned cooperating apparatuses, containing a parts arranging means for aligning filaments parallel to each other by applying vibration, a filament discharging means forwarding a filament one by one, for instance, by means of a reciprocating movement, and a filament transferring means for carrying a filament to its caulking position. It is easy to treat a filament being kept horizontally without support and to transfer the filament with rolling or sliding by inclination of the way.

In the lamps in which a filament is positioned on the stem at a right angle to the stem axis, the filament can be easily mounted as it is, as the filament is generally horizontally carried being aligned with the caulking position of the inner lead-in wires supported on the stem which in turn is positioned vertically suspended from the conveyor. But in the lamps in which a filament is to be mounted parallel to the stern axis, it is necessary to change the orientation of the filament to align the filament with the stem axis.

In the past orientation changing was performed by a turret form of changing mechanism having a plurality of chucks in excess of two, such as, for instance, disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,039,497. Such mechanism was not only complicated in its construction but also bulky in size, occupying a large amount of space, even when it stops movement, in an environment where inter-apparatus space for adjusting an operation condition is quite limited. Moreover, the rotary part of the apparatus in such mechanism is heavy and thereby difficulty has been encountered in performing a speedy operation and in obtaining good operating efficiency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, it is an object of the: present invention to provide a lamp filament-transferring equipment of simple construction and having high operational speed and good working efficiency as well as being compact in size. For achieving this object, according to a feature of the invention, transferring is carried out with only two chucks, each being fixed on opposite ends of the same shaft. Thus, the space occupied by the construction is greatly reduced, and especially, an aperture appearing on both side portions of the shaft at the stopping condition of the equipment is useful for adjusting or measuring a relation to a cooperating apparatus.

The equipment according to one of the embodiments of this invention comprises a pair of filamentchucks with suction faces thereonbeing oriented at right angles to each other, a rotary shaft rotatably supported by a stay fixed on a rotary disc being a part of a slidable connection valve, the chucks respectively being fixed on opposite ends of the rotary shaft, means for actuating the chucks for sucking or releasing, means for driving the rotary shaft to perform a revolution in the plane thereof for exchanging the chuck positions and to perform a rotation about its axis for changing the orientation of the chuck face during such revolution.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying Drawings in which like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic lamp filament-transferring equipment embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view, with a part broken away, showing an inner detail of the equipment illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the upper part of FIG. 1, taken along line I-I thereof; and,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a filament mount.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the accompanying Drawings, there is shown a base 1 having disposed thereunder a gear 3 being fixed to one end of a vertically oriented driving shaft 2 running through both the base 1 and a center hole of a stationary disc 5 fixed on the upper surface of the base 1, the disc 5 being a part of a slidable connection valve 5, 6. The driving shaft 2 may be driven to rotate continuously or to repeat to and fro in an intermittent motion pausing after every half turn by a driving motor, not shown, connected thereto through the gears 3 and 4. The rotary disc 6 fixed to the driving shaft 2 rotates slidably while air-tightly contacting the upper surface of the stationary disc 5 whenever gear 3 is rotated.

On the other surface of the rotary disc 6 are fixed stays 7a and 7b being set up in parallel relation to each other and symmetrically to the axis of the disc 6. The stays have a generally rectangular-shaped space 8 provided therebetween and are bridged at the top thereof.

In the space 8 between the stays there are installed a pinion 9 secured to a rotatable shaft 10 being horizontally disposed and supported in the stays 7a and 7b and a sector 12 meshingly geared therewith being formed on the upper end of a vertically elongate T-member having horizontal arms 14a and 14b at the bottom end thereof and supported on a horizontal axle rotatably mounted in the stays parallel with and somewhat below the shaft 10. On the opposite ends of the rotary shaft 10 projecting out through the respective stays 7a and 7b are fixed chucks 11a and 11b having their faces oriented at right angles to each other.

The arms 14a and 14b project perpendicularly out from the axle of the sector 12 on both sides thereof and have cam rollers 15a and 15b respectively mounted on their ends which travel on a cam surface formed on one end'of a cam tube 16, the tubular wall of which is set around the rotary disc 6 and is secured to the base 1. The cam surface is formed with two parts at different levels, such as stairs 17a and 17b, and the rollers 15a and 15b travel around the cam surface exchanging their positions during the rotation of stays 7a and 7b, so that when one roller is on the upper stair 17a, the other roller is on the lower stair 17b. Such roller movement causes a repeated inclination of the projected arms 14a and 14b which produces a corresponding inclination of the sector 12. As a result, pinion 9 meshing with the sector 12 rotates to and fro through a one-quarter turn, whereby the chucks lla and 11b reverse their respective positions and face orientations, from horizontal to vertical and vice-versa, during the rotation of the stays. Such motion may be readily actuated by a pinion and a rack with an appropriate crank motion.

These filament chucks 11a and 11b are each constructed in the form of a rectangular prism having a V- shaped groove on one of the longitudinal planes thereof, with a side plane being fixed to the end plane of the rotary shaft 10. At the bottom of the grooves are bored a plurality of suction apertures 18, as shown in FIG. 3, being connected to a suction pump through the connection of a series of holes 19 formed in the interiors of the respective chuck 11a or 11b, the rotary shaft 10, a respective one of the stays 7a or 7b, a connecting pipe 20a or 20b, an electro-magnetic valve, not shown, and the slidable connector valve 5, 6.

The base 1 is provided on opposite sides with projecting rims 21 positioned within channels 23 furnished in the side of arms 22 of an automatic filament-mounting machine, not shown, for slidably mounting the base for to and fro motion along the arms upon actuation of an eccentric cam 24 operating against the action of spring 25 normally urging the base 1 toward a rearmost position.

The following is an explanation of the operation of the. transferring equipment in connection with the cooperating apparatus. At the spring-urged or rear position of the base movement, a filament is dropped into the V-shaped groove of the chuck llb by a pair of feeding arms 29 shown by imaginary lines in FIG. 1 performing a crank motion. The filament 30b is kept in the V-shaped groove of the chuck 11b during the transferring operation.

Rotation of the rotary shaft 10 through a one-quarter turn is then effected through the pinion 9 and the sector 12, the latter being inclined by the movement of the rollers 15a and 15b on the stairs 17a and 17b of the tubular cam 16 during a half rotation of the rotary disc 6 and drive shaft 2. The rotation angle of the rotary shaft 10 is controlled by the relation between the number of gear teeth on the pinion 9 and the inclination angle of the sector 12 geared therewith, the inclination being re,- lated to the height of the stairs and the length of the cam roller arms 14a and 14b.

As a result, each of the chucks 11a and 11b changes its position through the revolution of the rotary shaft 10 in its plane from a filament receiving station to a filament transferring station and vice-versa, and changes its orientation by the rotation of the shaft 10 about its axis from a horizontal position to a vertical position and vice-versa. During or after the chuck movement, the base 1 moves forward to the stem 31, as indicated in phantom in FIG. 1 under the action of an eccentric cam 24 and the vertically held filament 30a is thus transferred to the caulking position 32 formed on the end of each of the lead-in'wires.

After caulking the filament to the lead-in wires, the suction is stopped by releasing the electro-magnetic valve, not shown, for parting with the filament, and the transferring equipment returns to its original position by the action of the springs 25 and the cam 24, whereupon the electro-magnetic valve is again actuated.

This transferring operation may be carried out without the aid of the base reciprocal movement, if desired. In this case, the filament may separate from the chuck responsive to the revolution of the rotary shaft 10.

It may be recognized that the equipment has a simple construction compared with the like apparatus of the past, that it may be quickly movable because little inertia is present, and that there is ample space around the position of the delivery, especially the side part of the rotary shaft, making it convenient for adjusting the working condition by utilizing such space.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is to be understood therefore that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by LETTERS PATENT of the United States is:

l. A lamp filament-transferring equipment comprising:

a rotary shaft turnable within its plane and rotatable around its axis;

a pair of suction chucks respectively fixed to opposite ends of the rotary shaft with the suction face of each being oriented at right angles to the other;

a rotary shaft supporting means fixed on a rotary disc being drivable intermittently through a half turn by a driving motor;

means to rotate said rotary shaft around it axis to and fro through a one-q uarter turn; and,

means to actuate or release the suction of the chucks responsive to being turned through said onequarter turn.

2. A lamp filament-transferring equipment according to claim 1, wherein said rotary shaft rotating means comprises:

a pinion fixed to the rotary shaft;

a sector gearing meshing with the pinion and having arms projecting therefrom;

a cam surface fixed to a base and surrounding said rotary disc;and

cam rollers rotatably supported on said arms and movable on said cam surface.

3. A lamp filament-transferring equipment according to claim 2, wherein said rotary shaft supporting means comprises:

stays having therebetween a space holding both said pinion and said sector being supported rotatably by said stays.

4. A lamp filament-transferring equipment comprising:

a base;

support means rotatably mounted about an axis on said base;

a shaft rotatably mounted in said support means;

a filament-holding chuck secured to each end of said rotary shaft at right angles relative to each other; means for rotating said rotary shaft through a 90 turn; and

means for rotating said support means.

5. A lamp filament-transferring equipment according to claim 4, wherein said means for rotating said shaft in said support means comprises:

a pinion secured to said shaft;

a sector gear member engaging said pinion; and

means responsive to the rotation of said support means for turning said sector gear member, whereby said pinion is operated to rotate said shaft.

6. A lamp filament-transferring equipment according to claim 5, wherein said means responsive to the rotation of said support means comprises:

a cam surface mounted on said base;

means rotatably supporting said sector gear member in said support means;

opposing arms integrally formed on said sector gear member having follower rollers rotatably mounted thereon and contacting said cam surface.

7. A lamp filament-transferring equipment according to claim 4, further comprising releasable suction means in said chucks for holding said filaments therein.

8. A lamp filament-transferring equipment according to claim 4, further comprising means for moving said base in a reciprocable path between a filament receiving station and a filament transfer station.

9. A lamp filament-transferring equipment according to claim 4, wherein said means for rotating said support means is alternately reversible, whereby said support means is rotated first in one direction through a preselected angle, then in the other direction.

10. A lamp filament-transferring equipment according to claim 4, wherein said support means comprises a pair of spaced upright stays being rotatable as a unit about a vertical axis on said base, said rotatable shaft being mounted between said stays. 

1. A lamp filament-transferring equipment comprising: a rotary shaft turnable within its plane and rotatable around its axis; a pair of suction chucks respectively fixed to opposite ends of the rotary shaft with the suction face of each being oriented at right angles to the other; a rotary shaft supporting means fixed on a rotary disc being drivable intermittently through a half turn by a driving motor; means to rotate said rotary shaft around it axis to and fro through a one-quarter turn; and, means to actuate or release the suction of the chucks responsive to being turned through said one-quarter turn.
 2. A lamp filament-transferring equipment according to claim 1, wherein said rotary shaft rotating means comprises: a pinion fixed to the rotary shaft; a sector gearing meshing with the pinion and having arms projecting therefrom; a cam surface fixed to a base and surrounding said rotary disc; and cam rollers rotatably supported on said arms and movable on said cam surface.
 3. A lamp filament-transferring equipment according to claim 2, wherein said rotary shaft supporting means comprises: stays having therebetween a space holding both said pinion and said sector being supported rotatably by said stays.
 4. A lamp filament-transferring equipment comprising: a base; support means rotatably mounted about an axis on said base; a shaft rotatably mounted in said support means; a filament-holding chuck secured to each end of said rotary shaft at right angles relative to each other; means for rotating said rotary shaft through a 90* turn; and means for rotating said support means.
 5. A lamp filament-transferring equipment according to claim 4, wherein said means for rotating said shaft in said support means comprises: a pinion secured to said shaft; a sector gear member engaging said pinion; and means responsive to the rotation of said support means for turning said sector gear member, whereby said pinion is operated to rotate said shaft.
 6. A lamp filament-transferring equipment according to claim 5, wherein said means responsive to the rotation of said support means comprises: a cam surface mounted on said base; means rotatably supporting said sector gear member in said support means; opposIng arms integrally formed on said sector gear member having follower rollers rotatably mounted thereon and contacting said cam surface.
 7. A lamp filament-transferring equipment according to claim 4, further comprising releasable suction means in said chucks for holding said filaments therein.
 8. A lamp filament-transferring equipment according to claim 4, further comprising means for moving said base in a reciprocable path between a filament receiving station and a filament transfer station.
 9. A lamp filament-transferring equipment according to claim 4, wherein said means for rotating said support means is alternately reversible, whereby said support means is rotated first in one direction through a preselected angle, then in the other direction.
 10. A lamp filament-transferring equipment according to claim 4, wherein said support means comprises a pair of spaced upright stays being rotatable as a unit about a vertical axis on said base, said rotatable shaft being mounted between said stays. 